The Beast Wakes From Slumber
by reminiscent-afterthought
Summary: Meloetta's soothing spell has been broken, and Yveltal, the destruction Pokemon, awakes. Chaos erupts in Kanto when other's connections with the legendary lullaby drag him to others who've been touched by Meloetta - but just as the spell has affected him, it has affected the minds of others that heard her voice as well. Everyone must decide what it is they fight, and fight for.
1. Prologue

**A/N:** _Written for the Diversity Writing Challenge at the Pokemon Fanfiction Challenges Forum, K23 – complete 50,000 words of a fic during NaNo. So this is also my NaNo fic – but I changed the idea around day four/five so it hasn't made much of a headway right yet. I'm hoping it will; I haven't finished a NaNo yet, but third time's the charm maybe? Lol._

_Anyway, enjoy. First actual chapter will be longer; this was just too perfect as a prologue for me to use as a full length chapter. Enjoy!_

* * *

><p><strong>The Beast Wakes From Slumber<br>_Prologue_**

He sensed the lullingly sweet lullaby had stopped.

It was just a hair breath's pause, but it was enough. He opened one eye, and when the music watched over him again and tried to pull him down, he resisted. The open eye helped: with each second it sucked in a little more of the world he had awoken to. It kept him from falling into the depths of slumber again. It awoke him – and with him awoke his rage.

He struggled to his feet and roared, for a moment drowning out the song. Let the wretched melody continue. He would kill it. And the world.

But then the roar dulled and the lullaby washed over it, clinging to his scales and dragging him down again. He roared again, but it was weaker than the first and the spell broke for only a fraction this time.

But it couldn't pull his opened eye closed. He closed it himself, deciding he could wait. Wait until the song broke again, or the strength sapped from him after eons of slumber returned.

Whether the world ended that day or the next did not matter to him. So long as it came to an end.


	2. Chapter 1

**The Beast Wakes From Slumber  
><em>Chapter 1<em>**

A year later, the promise of destruction to a near unsuspecting world had not come. Meloetta sung free and the ones who had freed it from her brief captivity ran around free in the world as well. One man watched: a man who had heard Meloetta's song but the song of another as well. And in that roar he had heard the promise of destruction. In its aftermath and his defeat, he lay his own plans. And he watched.

Ridley and Meloetta lived peacefully in their village. He watched them carefully, but did nothing. Letting them continue on, unaware of the net that ensnared them, suited him well. Until his weapon was sufficiently powered, there was no need to make a move and alert the world.

Cynthia had returned to Sinnoh, researching the old lore like she so enjoyed. It was amusing, and often he'd entertained the notion of dropping a hint or two at her feet, to take her to far more promising tales – and that would have been a delicious irony as well, watching her crumble against the very thing she sought to understand. But no. She might be wiser than he gave her credit for. There was no need to risk that. Let her flutter about as she willed, searching through old legends for such useless things. Once the pendulum began to sway, her eyes would be pulled towards the true prize – and then it would be too late.

And then there were those children. They'd been thorns in his side for too long – or rather, one in particular, to whom others flocked. Ash Ketchum, who'd begun his journey in the humble town of Pallet with a Pikachu that hadn't seemed to be anything remarkable – and even now, after meeting it face to face, he didn't think it remarkable at all for a partner that had been trained for seven years. And yet that trainer and his Pikachu had thwarted him. Freed Meloetta. Stopped the imminent destruction of the world.

But he was ignorant of what Meloetta's captivity had awoken. Of what would, when his strength was restored, roar again: loud enough for the whole world to hear. He was ignorant of the destruction that was coming: the destruction that could not and would not be stopped. Life leached from the planet. Left barren, so a new world could begin upon it, this time guided by his hands and moulded into the perfect world: his utopia.

That was his vision. The vision he waited to become a reality. And in the meantime he watched those who had been touched by Meloetta's song – those who weren't as fortunate as him, who would be the first to fall.

As soon as the slumbering destruction awoke. And, from the extensive calculations he'd had performed, he was sure it would be soon.

**.**

Meloetta and destruction were both topics far from Ash's mind as he leaned over the railing. Instead, it was filled by the view: the great expanse of ocean he had seen so many times over his journey…and yet, it was a little different each time. It was a little different every time he looked at it: a slightly different texture, a slightly different colour – the subtleties were enough to captivate him even with all the ocean's other wanders.

'We've crossed into Kanto territory,' he said, seeing the group of Tentacool swimming along. The Kalos natives had become fewer as they left, and now there were none at all. But the Tentacool were a plenty, spreading themselves out in patterns he could almost read.

He doubted they were intentional. Tentacool had better methods of communication. But they were still a sight to behold: their red jewels a stark contrast to the blue bodies that almost melded into the colour of the sea.

Serena gazed at them in equal wander, but for different reasons. She had been to Kanto once before, but she'd been young and inexperienced then. Too young to be on deck. But now she was older and could enjoy the beauty of the scene: the images she hadn't seen so close before.

'They're amazing,' she sighed. 'Bonnie would love this too, I'm sure.'

'She certainly would,' Ash agreed. 'You know what my friend Misty calls them? The jewels of the sea.'

'Not the Starmie?' But Serena smiled at the thought. They did look like little rubies glistening in the afternoon sun, and spread out like that the Tentacool looked like a necklace – a necklace string with rubies. 'They are beautiful.'

'Wait until you see the rest of the body,' Ash laughed.

Serena didn't wait. She took out her Pokedex instead. An image of the Tentacool appeared: two red orbs where the ears typically sat on a mammal and a smaller one that resembled the fabled third eye. Serena realised she'd been mistaken: she'd thought those red orbs were their eyes, but the Pokedex showed clearly little black dots framed in white underneath. They were almost at the base of the body in fact: most of the blue made up the head. They had two appendages as well: tentacles that were brown in colour and slightly rounded at the ends.

The entry told a little more. 'Tentacool,' the Pokedex recited, 'the jellyfish Pokemon. Its body is composed of ninety-nine percent water and those who surprise it are invariably met with their poison.'

'Still think they're cute?' Ash asked, once Serena had tucked her Pokedex away.

'Sure,' Serena said. 'Are there loads of them in Kanto? I think I'll try and catch one.'

Ash snorted. 'Good luck with that,' he said.

'What?' Serena frowned. 'You don't think I can?'

'_I_ think it's an odd case for a Pokemon Showcase is all,' Ash countered. Pikachu uttered his agreement.

'Whatever.' Serena flicked her ponytail back. 'What do you boys know about fashion anyway.'

'Enough to know I don't want to learn anything more.' The Tentacool drifted away, parting the water for the other aquatic Pokemon that swam below. Magikarp mostly, though there was the odd Staryu and Horsea as well.

'Wow,' Serena squealed, clapping her hands together. 'They're so pretty too!'

'They're _cool_,' Ash corrected, grinning. 'Welcome to Kanto, Serena.'

She rolled her eyes. 'It's not like I've never been here before,' she pointed out. 'You can tell me welcome to your house when I get there.'

'Yes ma'am.' Ash rolled his own eyes in reply, but the mention of his home excited him. 'I wonder what Mum's made for dinner today.'

'You won't be at your house until tomorrow,' Serena laughed. 'No use thinking about it today.' When Ash looked put out, she offered her basket of Poke-puffs. 'You can have one of these instead. These are all fit for human consumption too. Except the red one. That's for Fennekin.'

Ash accepted the basket and took two – a pink one that Pikachu loved, and a green for himself. 'Thanks Serena,' he said, stuffing it into his mouth. Pikachu followed suit, and Serena rolled her eyes at the two males again as she released Fennekin from her Poke-ball and offered her the red Poke-puff.

Fennekin munched on it happily, staying safely away from the rails. All the wonders in the world wouldn't be enough to convince her to get that close to sea water. She enjoyed the sky view instead: the Pidgey and Spearow and occasional Pidgeotto flying overhead in little flocks.

Serena looked up as well. 'What's that?' she asked suddenly, pointing. 'It's not quite a Pidgeot.'

Ash and Pikachu looked, then they both gasped and Ash fumbled for the Poke-dex. He dropped it though, it slipping from his fingers in haste and sliding on the slippery deck. Fennekin caught it and Ash smiled sheepishly at the fire fox. The Pokemon was gone by then, leaving only a fading rainbow behind.

'Really Ash,' Serena sighed. 'You're so clumsy.'

'Sorry,' Ash said in reply. 'But I was just so excited…' And he even had a silly little grin on his face: one bigger than any he'd she'd seen him wear before. 'That was Ho-oh, I think. The Pokemon I saw the day I started my journey. You should have been there…'

'The legendary Pokemon?' Serena asked, but Ash was lost in the memory of the day he'd set off from Pallet Town and didn't hear the question. She shook her head, smiled, and listened.

'…and then the Spearow attacked, and…' Ash stopped suddenly, squinting at the horizon.

'What is it?'

Ash pointed. 'Ho-oh,' he said, though he sounded uncertain. 'It's coming back this way.'

Indeed it was, though the deck was near deserted and there were few people to see the wonder that was the rainbow Pokemon. This time, the Poke-dex was ready, and Ash scanned the ever-closer drawing beast. 'Ho-oh,' the Poke-dex chirped, 'the rainbow Pokemon. Legends state it will reveal itself only to trainers of pure heart, and when it flies, it leaves a rainbow trail behind.'

Serena sighed, though this time it was a smile of happiness as she watched the legendary bird draw closer. 'That must mean it thinks we're pure of heart,' she said. 'That makes me happy.'

She clasped her hands to her chest, and Fennekin came forward a little to nuzzle her leg. Pikachu climbed the rails to get a better look. Ash stayed where he was, transfixed at the image of the rainbow bird framed in white and blue and Ho-oh's rainbow trail.

Ho-oh was almost above them when something echoed. To the humans, it sounded like a very faint cry, but Ho-oh jerked in the air and screeched. The screech cut through the other sound, but it was short lived as well. In just a breath Ho-oh was gone, vanishing into the fast approaching clouds.

'What was that?' Serena asked, shivering a little as she scanned the air and the sea. 'It seemed to her the temperature had dropped as well.

Ash shook his head. He could see nothing: no large shadow – though the swimming Pokemon had vanished as well. Fled beyond their sight. 'Pikachu?' he asked.

Pikachu shook himself. Ash rubbed the mouse's back, feeling the hair that had risen up. 'Yeah, that was a creepy sound.'

He wasn't sure if it was the strange sound that had preceded it or Ho-oh's screech – nothing like the musical cry he'd imagined would come from the bird.

'Definitely creepy.' Serena dropped down. Fennekin shook herself and allowed her tail to be petted. 'Your fur's risen as well. Are you scared? Cold?'

Fennekin shook her head.

'Maybe we should go inside anyway.'

It was a good idea, and Ash and Pikachu were quick to agree to it. It looked like there was a storm approaching, and none of them wanted to get wet in it.

**.**

Delia hummed to herself as she walked home through the fields before Pallet Town, a shopping bag in each arm.

Normally, she would have made do with the local market. Its fresh fruits and vegetables and milk and meat were often more than enough for a feast. But the more delicate things could only be found in the city: things like ketchup for Pikachu and some of the odds and ends that went towards making sweets…

And it was nice to go to the city once in a while as well. Especially when somebody was nice enough to drop her off or pick her up.

That day, Gary had been off to catch a boat back to Sinnoh, and he was more than happy to stop by Viridian on the way to the Vermillion port. That was that morning. The walk back took up most of the daylight. If it were winter, the sunk would have been sinking below the horizon now, but the late spring days were long.

And there was a nice breeze that afternoon as well. Summer days went on a little too long: just long enough for the skin on the back of her neck to burn as she watered her plants. Just long enough for her to run out of things to do or energy to do them with, and simply sit on the dining table or a couch and think about her little boy on some adventure far away or her husband even further. Just long enough for such a walk to be unbearable due to the heat, even if Mr Mime came along with an umbrella for shade and a fan.

Mr Mime was handling things around the house that day. He wasn't very fond of cars. He did have a strange liking for hot air balloons though. Perhaps, Delia reflected, it was do with how they'd gone to rescue Ash and Pikachu that one time.

Though the pair of them were so resourceful, she was sure they would have managed even without her help. That was a comforting thought: knowing her little boy could handle himself anywhere. No longer would he cry and mope in bed after losing a battle. No longer would he go in to battle with overwhelming confidence that spoke nothing of his experience or skill.

And no longer was he competing in leagues close enough to home for her to easily go to in order to watch from the stands and cheer him on. The more recent regions were so far away: Sinnoh and Unova and Kalos… She had to watch him from the television, and it just wasn't the same. But Ash had grown up. And Delia felt she'd grown a little too, with all that. She worried less, now that she was more confident in Ash and his Pokemon – and his knack for making great friends on his journey.

And he would be arriving home tomorrow with one following behind. A few days behind, he'd said over the phone the last time they'd talked, when they'd sorted out dates and travel plans and such. The travel plans were always the same. Ash always said he'd stay until he'd decided where next to go, and then he'd decide and be off in a whirlwind before she could quite blink. But that was just the way Ash was. Restless and full with desire and ambition.

People like that belonged on the road, travelling.

Delia hummed to herself as she worked out meal plans. Serena would be coming in three nights, unless something delayed her. She'd wanted to go somewhere else first, according to Ash. Somewhere Ash either didn't know or didn't want to go to. So Ash would have to stay that long at least – and that was three nights she could make all his favourite foods for him.

She missed those little things. Washing his clothes. Cooking his meals. Shaking him awake in the mornings and giving him a list of chores that would last three quarters of the day in the winter-time when those days were woefully short. Scolding him for watching television when it was time for him to go to bed. All those things he used to do so often before he turned ten and began his Pokemon journey.

He didn't do all of those anymore. He didn't watch nearly as much television – he was on it more, a fact Delia found quite amusing. She recorded all the ones she could catch, but some were unexpected ones. Like the one where he'd been caught on camera scaling the waterfall to the Hale mansion. Or the one where he'd been comforting a rampaging Garachomp and wound up being rescued by something that looked like a Blaziken when Pikachu fell off the tower and Ash jumped off to save him.

One of the things she would need to have a word with him about when he got home tomorrow. She'd been, understandably, startled when she'd seen, and relieved beyond words when the not quite Blaziken caught them. She'd seen Blaziken before, even though most of her knowledge of Pokemon centred around Kanto, Johto and Ash's captures. Professor Oak called it a Mega-Blaziken – a Blaziken with the power to exceed what had previously been thought to be the limits of Pokemon evolution.

She was not a researcher, but it still sounded like an exciting prospect. Even more exciting was witnessing her own Ash perform it. Not with Pikachu, like she'd expected. But then again, Pikachu had never wanted to reach the end of its evolution, so perhaps beyond it was something he didn't care for as well. But his Charizard had undergone what Professor Oak called Mega Evolution during the Kalos league. Twice: in the quarter finals, and again in the semi-finals.

It was a shame he'd lost at that point after coming so far, but she didn't doubt he would be coming home in good spirits and a drive to climb even further. And it was a good time to return to Kanto as well. The flowers were beginning to bloom and all of the countryside was splayed with colour: little petals on hilltops that barely brushed her heel in height and stature, but made a beautiful sight in the spring.

Not that Ash had quite the green thumb she enjoyed, but it was impossible to not enjoy the view. The colours: white and red and orange and the green grass dispersed in between. And above the blue sky with sparse white clouds and a cool wind –

She shivered when it suddenly grew cold, over the last hills before Pallet town.

'That's strange,' she said to herself, looking up. The sky was darker: those pale white clouds had become thick and heavy with black and far more in number than they'd been just a moment ago. 'There wasn't anything in the forecast about a storm.'

She wouldn't have risked walking back if there had, or if she hadn't been sure she'd get back to Pallet Town when it hit. But there really had been nothing. The weather report had promised a sunny day with a light, perfect spring breeze. What she'd been enjoying just moments ago.

But the sky spelt something else now, and there was no point staring at it and wondering where the weather report had gone wrong. She readjusted her bags so they were easier to hurry with and walked faster. Her home was only fifteen, or ten if she hurried, minutes away. With any luck, she'd make it before the wind picked up more or it began to rain.

The wind did pick quickly up, but not unbearingly so. The small flowers shuddered, but Delia could spare little attention to them. Thunder cracked – but in the far distance: on the other side of Pallet town where there was nothing but water stretching out. Mr Mime appearing running a few minutes later with her umbrella.

She stopped and took it thankfully and opened it and covered the both of them and Mr Mime took a shopping bag from her. Then it started raining.

It was soft at first, causing the petals that caught them to sink a little. But it grew heavier quickly, and the pair hurried through the empty streets and to the Ketchem house: her home sweet home, with the umbrella cutting through the slates of rain by the end of it.

And then the rain was shut outside and the umbrella was firmly tied to and dripping on the balcony and Mr Mime was putting all the groceries away and Delia could stand near the window and catch her breath. The windows were closed, and she would have closed them if they hadn't been because the smell of rainwater sinking into upholstery was never a pleasant one.

But the blinds were still drawn back. They'd been drawn back for the sun, but even now that the sun had taken its leave she left them open. Spring was a season for rain as well, and her tomatoes especially looked a vibrant red painted in it. Even with the wind picking up, with the thunder creeping a little closer and the hints of lightning in the distance appearing. It was almost haunting: those round red plants, but she'd seen her fair share of storms living in the countryside and she'd yet to see one tear her tomatoes apart. Frail beautiful flowers yes, but not tomatoes. Not unless Ash had left his bike out and it had crashed into her bushes. And it couldn't be that, because he hadn't been home in over a year and she would have noticed the bike in the front yard well before then and put it away in the shed.

And it was because those blinds were drawn back that she saw a flicker of something. Something she couldn't quite place with a surety: it was gone before she could focus on it, see it properly and put a name and a face to it. A shadow, tall and in a shape she couldn't describe so frequently. But not human. Definitely not human. Which meant it could have only been one other thing.

It seemed to her that there had been a Pokemon outside, framed in the storm and looking at something in the distance and disappearing in the next breath.

**.**

Their eyes were everywhere and sometimes that was the only reason they were able to move forward. When things had come to a standstill on all other fronts and a little something somewhere became the breakthrough they needed to drive a new path. Like when monitoring a certain group of people had led to a monotonous year – though the footage was interesting enough at times in its own right. That monotone was suddenly broken by several things at once –

And then it was just a flurry of rewinding tapes and taking snapshots and compiling them into a hasty report because the boss would want to know those things as soon as possible. Know that Ho-oh had been sighted over the seas of Kanto – flying towards Viridian city before suddenly turning away and flying with great haste. They took micro-footage. Close up snaps. The exact time frames. Where they noticed it. Where they lost the sight. And the boss would also want to know about the shadow at a similar time: near a quaint little house in a small town called Pallet where nothing ever seemed to happen.

But there was an object in that house that greatly interested the boss, and so they'd been tasked to keep an eye on it. And now those cameras bore fruit as well: the shadow they'd managed to catch that matched nothing on their database: human or Pokemon or natural phenomenon. They scrambled with it: taking as many snapshots as they could manage, of as many different views in the split second it had been caught by the video in the storm. They took care, wrote down each time and angle because making a mistake meant doing it all over again.

And then one of the assistants ran with the files and met up with others carrying other things in the crossroads where everyone was forever running in to each other on their way somewhere. The clips went to someone who ran more thorough scans and cross-referenced them to a great many things those whose sole job was to monitor could never hope to understand. They requested data and other images from various other clusters and those requests came back moments later. Topographic maps showing slight changes where there should have been more dramatic ones with the storm. Other maps that recorded various energy waveforms, showing a thin red line creeping up and a green one suddenly plummeting moments later.

And they all went to the boss who scanned through them and saw them as what he'd waited so long for, and he smiled. Finally, time had begun to move again. The why would be up to his underlings to work out, if they cared to. It didn't matter now. The end of the sorrowfully imperfect world had begun. The evidence was there, right on his screen: its centre-point, a snapshot, from an angle no human could have seen with the naked eye in such a storm, of a shadow shaped like the letter y.

Yveltal was on the move, and soon, it would awaken.


	3. Chapter 2

**The Beast Wakes From Slumber  
><em>Chapter 2<em>**

Living with Meloetta was like living with an eternal song. Their small forest village was, for the most part a peaceful one, and Meloetta's songs were a present as constant as the wind once again.

She had been gone a brief while, but the villagers barely noticed a pause in the song. Though they'd felt the emptiness that had driven them out of their quaint little home to search for their friend, it had seemed to all of them that the melodious Pokemon had continued singing to them through the air. The wind carried the notes to them: told them that, somewhere, Meloetta was still singing songs of peace to them and the rest of the world.

In the village, only one person knew the song had, for a brief period, stopped.

Ridley had told no-one of it. Telling his tribe meant spreading panic amongst them, truth or not. The song of slumber had broken for barely a moment: enough for the Reveal Glass to call upon the three lords but not enough to spread beyond the little island that battle for the world had taken place upon. There'd been no sign of it later: that break in the melody almost no-one had heard. No signs that the storm that and descended upon Unova a year ago was nothing more than the result of Tornadus, Thunderus and Landorus and their mighty clash at the Abyssal Ruins.

He could quite easily believe that the brief moment of silence and screams when the Reveal Glass was activated wasn't near long enough to awaken another beast soothed to sleep by Meloetta's lullaby. But he hadn't trusted that entirely: that want, that faith. Nor had Meloetta, because it seemed to him she sung with even more vigour than before – a slight desperation, as though she was trying to repair the break in a long and frail string. And maybe that would work. Maybe it was working, or had worked. Or maybe it didn't need to work because it hadn't broken anyway…but those doubts were still enough to worry.

Just not enough to worry the rest of the clan on something that had a slim chance of becoming a reality.

Or so he had thought, until Meloetta suddenly screamed one afternoon and took towards the coast. Ridley who'd been the only one there at the time quickly called out his Golurk and followed. He lost Meloetta in the haze of trees between them and her speed, but above the shallow waters facing towards Kanto she had stopped, staring at the thin streaks of grey and black and yellow in the distance.

'A storm out at sea?' Ridley wondered, confused a moment as to why such a scene would make Meloetta suddenly run like that.

But then he saw a distant sparkle escape the clouds almost too distant to see and fly towards them.

Meloetta rose higher into the air and began to sing. Not the song of peace it normally sung, Ridley noticed, even though his eyes were not transfixed on her but the approaching figure. He could make out colours in the sparkle now – rainbow like colours. Then the small figure of bird growing and growing until it was an image of brilliant red –

'Ho-oh,' he breathed. It should have been a blessing to see, but the storm that framed it meant there was something far darker rising.

Meloetta sung her song of sleep even louder, her voice echoing on the waters. Whether she was reaching for the legendary beast or the storm behind it, he couldn't know for sure, but he imagined it was the latter. The storm – like she'd sung to the Tornadus, Thunderus and Landorus to calm their unbidden rage and quell their storm. There was no reason to call the bird of life into slumber, but if that storm was a sign that the beast of destruction was stirring then it needed to be bound by the chains of sleep once more.

Meloetta's body shook as her song grew even louder: the loudest Ridley had ever heard it. He clasped his hands above the pendant that hung from his neck: a leaf from the forest they had since long ago claimed as their home. For them it was a symbol of vitality as well: vitality and peace that existed in their world. The peace they strove to forever live in and protect. That Meloetta strove to protect as well.

'You can do it, Meloetta,' he said, not trying to speak above the song but simply letting his words carry to it. And Meloetta seemed to hear, or maybe she simply felt his presence standing near her with Golurk and that was enough for her. She strained her voice so that Ridley, only because he knew her so well, could hear the tremor in it.

And his eyes, still watching Ho-oh, caught the dark clouds reaching out for the bird before they finally began to shrink.

Meloetta held up the song until the last of the grey had vanished from the horizon and the sky was blue and peaceful once again, and then she fell. Ridley caught her in his arms, holding her tight as she curled into the crook of his elbow and closed her eyes. A small smile graced his lips – small because the rest of him was caught in worry and fear. That storm – there were few reasons Meloetta would sense it so fast, and fewer still why she would be so desperate to halt its course.

It might have been simply because Ho-oh had been caught in it, but he remembered the events of Abyssal Ruins too well and feared it was something else: that monster that had been chained in slumber since long ago but who could have found an opportunity in the break of Meloetta's song to awaken.

The rest of the village would have to be told if it was.

**.**

The storm eased before nightfall, and the travellers gathered on the deck in the sunset's orange glow. It was all a quiet murmur over the sound of slightly choppy waves – the calm that followed them huddled in their cabins as the sea had tossed their ship to and fro.

Now the water was nearly smooth again: its waves just as has been predicted. But the landscape was wrong. The only Pokemon they could see where the Chinchou with their light-bulb like antennae, and they were sparse. And the coastline had become so long – the land mass in the distance far longer than how the land of Kanto curved away and out of sight past Vermillion Port.

People whispered. Some were panicked. Others were fascinated. Others still were just annoyed that they wouldn't be able to dock as planned. Serena was simply lost: she'd been to Kanto before but as a child and by plane. Ash was more oriented: he thought he could make out the Indigo Plateau almost east, which meant they'd been shoved south-west and into Johto waters in the storm. That made sense, why the Chinchou could be seen – though why the Tentacool and Magikarp had disappeared, he still didn't know. Those Pokemon were as native to Johto waters as they were to Kanto, and as common to see in the night as they were in the day.

Mercifully, Serena found the Chinchou cute as well, so there was no opportunity to resume their earlier discussion about the Tentacool.

'Native to Johto?' she asked, drooping a little. There would be little chances of catching one once they landed in Kanto, and she'd planned on heading to Unova after the brief stopover.

Then she blinked. Why were Johto natives on Kanto waters anyway?'

'There's Indigo Plateau,' Ash said, pointing to a tall structure they were leaving behind. It was actually where Moltres' flame remained lit through the conference: the rest of the plateau was far closer to land and harder to see from so far away. 'And behind it there – that's Mount Silver. Those mark the border between Kanto and Johto. So we're technically in Johto now. I think.'

Serena rolled her eyes. Pikachu did a rather good imitation as well – as well as a mouse Pokemon could mimic an action meant largely for the human race. 'You think?' she asked. 'How in the world do you read a map?'

'I don't, really.' Ash shrugged. 'It used to be Brock or Max or Cilan or Clemont or you…' His voice trailed off. 'Not Misty or Dawn. They're worse than I am with maps.'

'And you manage on your own…how?'

Ash laughed. 'I'm never on my own,' he said, gesturing to Pikachu on his shoulder.

'You mean Pikachu can read a map?' She was a little sceptical of that. She'd certainly never seen the electric mouse handle a map – though she had to admit Pikachu was pretty good in sniffing out routes when they were out in the wild. Still, Clemont's Bunnelby was unmatched as far as she'd seen.

'We have adventures even when we're good at lost.' Ash didn't seem too concerned, and Serena rolled her eyes. 'But you can't miss the big landmarks.'

'I don't know…' Serena was sceptical of that as well, though it was true she hadn't seen him miss any big landmarks. He'd even proven to be quite astute to his surroundings sometimes, like that time at camp when she hadn't seen the drop in the valley and he had…

She blushed at the memory. Ash looked at her curiously. 'Are you sea-sick?'

'No.' She blushed darker, though that was partially embarrassment. If she was, she certainly didn't want to be sick with an audience. But she didn't want to admit why she was blushing either. She searched the deck and the ocean for a distraction, and latched on to the nearest one. 'Hey, listen. The captain's saying something.'

People quietened quickly as they noticed, and the captain repeated his message. It turned out Ash had been right – though he hadn't noticed Mount Silver originally. It had been the Indigo Plateau that had called out to him. But they'd been pushed south west in the storm and had crossed into Johto borders. They didn't have enough fuel to turn back to Vermillion port, so they'd be transitioning through the port at New Bark Town. They'd reach there in a couple of hours, but detail, minor repairs of necessary and resupply of the ship would take around half the day. They wouldn't be reaching Vermillion Harbour until almost a whole day late.

'We'll have time to visit Professor Elm,' Ash commented, not sounding too concerned. 'Hey, Serena, remind me to ring my mum when we land.'

Serena shushed him. The captain was still talking: explain how there would be no cost for the extra night and the two extra meals – breakfast and dinner, for whoever chose not to disembark. Though as long as they were back before midday he didn't mind if they did: visited the Pokemon Centre for those trainers on board. Take the opportunity to make calls and visit any friends that happened to be nearby.

When he bid them a good night and returned to the stern, Ash and Serena resumed their conversation. 'Professor Elm?' she questioned.

'An expert on Pokemon just like Professor Sycamore and Professor Oak,' Ash explained. 'His specialty is Pokemon breeding and unusual abilities.'

'Ooh.' Serena's eyes sparkled as she clasped her hands together. 'I'd love to see some eggs. DO you think he has them at his laboratory?'

'Maybe.' Ash shrugged. 'I don't remember seeing any the first two times we were there, but he did ask me to pick up a Larvitar egg for him once.'

'Larvitar?' Serena asked, before deciding it would probably be faster to check it on her Pokedex. And she did, admiring the tan colouring of its holographic image and listening to the Pokedex.

'Larvitar,' it said, 'the rock skin Pokemon. Born deep underground, it will burrow its way to the surface and eat the surrounding soil while it prepares to evolve.'

'Born underground?' Serena repeated. 'What on earth was Professor Elm doing with the egg then?'

'Poachers took him from his mother in Mount Silver,' Ash explained. 'Professor Elm wanted us to pick the egg up on our way back to New Bark Town, but it hatched before we got there so he decided it was better to go straight to Mount Silver.'

'So the Larvitar found his mother?' Serena asked. 'That's good.'

'We had a run in with the poachers too,' Ash said, remembering. 'And Tyrannitar hadn't been too thrilled to see humans at first, but it all worked out in the end.'

Serena just shook her head. 'If I hadn't been travelling with you for so long…'

'That doesn't explain my Mum,' Ash grinned. 'She worries, but she also knows we'll be fine.' He scratched Pikachu behind the ears. 'Right Pikachu?'

'Pika,' Pikachu agreed.

Serena rolled her eyes. 'Half the trouble is avoidable,' she pointed out.

'More than that is because of Team Rocket,' Ash shot right back. 'And anything short of giving Pikachu to them isn't going to stop them.'

'True enough,' Serena allowed. 'So…what's Johto like?'

They were closer now, but it was also dark except for the cities' lights in the distance. They could make out very little: just the landmass and the little pinpoints of light and the stars high up in the sky.

'You'll find out tomorrow,' Ash replied, yawning widely. 'Man, I'm beat suddenly.'

Serena wanted to grumble at him, but truthfully, she was tired too. 'Let's go have a nap. That way, we'll be able to get a good meal at the Pokemon Centre when we disembark.'

'Sure thing,' Ash agreed.

**.**

They did exactly as they planned, and Serena was quick to remind Ash to call his mother. 'So we won't be arriving in Kanto until tomorrow evening,' he explained. 'So I won't reach Kanto until tomorrow night.'

'You say that,' Delia laughed. 'But I won't be surprised in the least if Professor Elm mentions something or other that sends you off on another adventure. Though do try and visit soon. And let me know if you're going to do that.'

'Sure thing Mum.' Ash grinned and Serena was just amazed at his mother. Hers wouldn't have been too pleased if she wandered off without stopping by home like she was supposed to. 'Did the storm reach Kanto?'

'Mimey bless him came running with an umbrella.' Delia smiled fondly. 'Otherwise I would have been soaked.'

'Mimey?' Serena mouthed, missing what Ash said in response. Though she asked afterwards. 'Is that your mother's nickname for your father?'

'Mr Mime my _Dad_?' Ash sounded appalled, though laughingly so. 'He's a Mr Mime. Mum just calls him "Mimey".' Seeing the baffled look, he brought up the page on his Pokedex. 'Here.'

'Mr Mime, the Pokedex explained, displaying the humanoid shaped Pokemon. 'The barrier Pokemon. It is able to create invisible barriers that are capable of deflecting even the strongest attacks.'

'A psychic type?' Serena blinked. 'Your mother's a Pokemon Trainer? You never mentioned this.'

'She's a seamstress actually,' Ash replied. 'Though she studied under Professor Oak for a while and sometimes helps with the Pokemon he looks after.'

'And your Dad?' Serena asked curiously, realising she knew very little about his family – just his mother from his video calls to her, and there wasn't much she could learn from that. Ash wasn't like her, complaining about her mother whenever she got the chance.

'On his own Pokemon journey.' Ash stretched casually. 'Haven't heard from him in a while.'

Serena suspected a while was longer than the innocent comment let on, but she didn't pry further. It wasn't like Ash to dodge questions like that, so she let it be. If he wanted to talk about it, she figured, he would in his own time. 'Let's get some dinner,' she said instead. 'The cafeteria will still be open I imagine.'

Ash's stomach rumbled on cue. 'I'm all for that suggestion,' he said, Pikachu piping up his agreement.

They were off before Serena could start walking herself. And when she caught up and let her Pokemon out of their Poke balls, Ash, Pikachu and the rest of his were enjoying their heaped plates and dishes.

Ash had left spares out for everyone except for Fennekin as well, and Pancham, Gothita and Plusle immediately rushed for the Pokemon food and began to eat. Fennekin waited patiently for Serena to blend a chesto berry and dust it over the pallets before enjoying them.

And once that was done, Serena filled her own plate and joined Ash, whose eyes were now glued to the television.

'Hey,' he said, not turning his head as she sat next to him. 'They're reporting a contest's results.'

Serena perked up. There were no contests in Kalos, and she'd been dying to see one for herself since Ash had explained them during their travels. But it was almost over, and all she got to see was someone getting a ribbon before the story switched on to something else. 'Aww,' she said. 'Hopefully I can catch a proper contest in Kanto.'

'There are plenty,' Ash said, 'unless it's right after the Grand Festival. They happen in different times in different regions. Last time it was at the Indigo Plataeu between matches with Brandon.'

'The Frontier Brain, right?' Serena remembered Ash mentioning something about that. 'Well, if it's before the Grand Festival, then there'll be lots of coordinators trying to get their last ribbon, right?'

'Guess so.' Ash bit into a chicken leg. 'Though I think a new round of contests start about a month after the Grand Festival, and there are a lot of first timers in that. Just like there are a lot of new trainers a month or so after the previous conference and a lot with seven badges going for an eighth a month before.'

Serena laughed. 'Sounds like there are a lot of procrastinators around,' she commented. 'A Gym Leader's Pokemon must get exhausted.'

'They sure do, but the Gym Leaders like it. Challenging trainers.' Ash offered the leftover ketchup on his plate to Pikachu, who eagerly lapped it up. Ash yawned while watching him. 'Guess it's back to bed.'

'Not right after dinner,' Serena said disapprovingly. 'Why don't we do a bit of training with Plusle first? Working on Spark will get us all moving.'

'True enough.' Ash shrugged, then stood up. 'Let's go, Pikachu.'

Pikachu finished the ketchup before jumping off the table.

**.**

It was pretty late and they were the only two on the training courts with the lights on. Plusle's cheeks sparked in excitement, but it was a soft flickering spark. As of yet, she was unable to hold her electricity in her cheeks enough to form an attack.

Pikachu made motions with his hands, trying to explain a process that seemed to have always come naturally. Plusle tried to copy, though it would fizzle out almost immediately.

'Maybe we need someone who knows Spark?' Serena wondered, when the attack fizzled out again.

'Don't think so,' Ash disagreed. 'Your Plusle can't use Thundershock yet either.'

But trying to teach her Thundershock wouldn't get Ash or Serena moving much. And Spark was a good move to start with too.

Pikachu waved his hands a few more times before pointing out the corners of the court. 'Lap time,' Serena announced, reading herself as well.

Ash groaned, but he didn't want to wake up with a stomach-ache so he stretched as well, preparing for a sprint. And the four of them ran – once, twice and then several times as Plusle hopelessly tried to outstrip Pikachu and Ash and Serena simply tried to get their stomach juices moving. All the while, Pikachu was using Volt Tackle as an example and Plusle was trying to hold her electricity long enough to create a Spark.

But by the time Ash and Serena decided they'd gotten enough late night exercise, Plusle hadn't managed to cross even half the court's width with something that looked like a Spark.

'Plusle doesn't need to know Quick Attack first, right?' Serena checked, as they walked back up to their rooms. They'd gotten separate ones because there weren't too many people who chose to sleep at the Pokemon Centre instead of the ship, and few other trainers there.

'Don't think so.' Though Ash had never tried to teach anyone Spark before. 'Pikachu needed it for Volt Tackle, but that's Volt Tackle.'

Serena sighed. 'I wonder why Plusle can't do any electric attacks aside from Nuzzle,' she said. 'And it's not a particularly strong Nuzzle.'

'She'll learn,' Ash encouraged. 'And you'll do a great job teaching her.'

'Thanks Ash,' Serena said gratefully. It wasn't much of course, but it was nice to hear someone had faith in her.

And, just like that, they were at their rooms. 'Good night,' she said.

'Night Serena,' Ash replied, Pikachu adding something in his own language.

'Good night, Pikachu.' She petted him on the tail before disappearing through the door with Plusle.

**.**

Ridley set Meloetta down on a bed of leaves. The melody Pokemon was still asleep, her small chest rising and falling with each breath. It was night by the time he'd returned – recalling Golurk and making his way on foot. That had given him time to think: to think of other possibilities – and to pass through the city as well and checking on a few things, being careful all the while to make sure Meloetta was out of sight.

He found out the storm had struck the south coast of Kanto, causing a ferry from Kalos heading there to be pushed back and west and into Johto territory. But there'd been no damage and no injury: simply a diversion – though that might have been only because of Meloetta.

And the report, sparse as it was, mentioned nothing at all about Ho-oh.

So the possibilities were all still there. There could have been someone on that ship – Ash or Iris or Cilan or Cynthia… Ash was the most likely candidate, being a Kanto native. The ferry had been heading for Kanto originally after all. Or it could have been something else – that something he feared.

Unfortunately, there was no way to really know. Unless Meloetta somehow did. But he couldn't wake Meloetta then: not when it had exhausted itself like so. And he couldn't answer the questions of his fellow villagers when he finally arrived back either. He could only say Meloetta had strained itself trying to stop a storm and was now exhausted.

It was the truth, but it told nothing at all as to why.


	4. Chapter 3

**The Beast Wakes From Slumber  
><em>Chapter 3<em>**

Meloetta opened her eyes to the smell of berries steaming. Ridley was sitting not far from her, stirring things in a pot. Nettles as well, she smelt. And some other sort of herb she couldn't quite make out in the cacophony of scents.

'Morning.' He smiled at her, but his smile was strained. 'Are you feeling better now?'

'Melo.' Meloetta lifted off from the bed of leaves and hovered in the air, turning slowly. 'Melo,' she said again, this time in approval.

The smile became relieved and more relaxed as well. 'That's good,' Riley said, turning back to the pot. 'You startled me, racing off like that.'

'Mel…' Meloetta glided through the air to land on his shoulder. The scent was sweet and tasty and something she ordinarily would have drowned herself within, but there were other things on her mind right then. The exhaustion that was slipping away. The reasons behind that. And that scream she'd heard echo that had spurred her so quickly in to action…

But it was silent now. Just the eternal echo of her song.

Riley stirred a little more, then sighed and removed the pot and doused the flame. 'If I boil it any more, we'll be eating liquid,' he sighed. 'Meloetta –'

Meloetta pushed off his shoulder so that, when Riley turned to her, they were looking directly into each other's eyes. 'Was it..?'

He didn't finish the question and Meloetta didn't give a verbal answer to it, but that was enough. Her body language was enough. The way her body stiffened save her face. The way her expression drooped as though in guilt.

'I see.' Ridley turned away again. 'The seal needs to be made anew.'

Unfortunately, that wasn't a task that the two of them could do alone…and even if it could, they might not be able to complete the seal before it was too late.

'Well.' Ridley half-smiled, standing up. 'It's my fault for keeping all that a secret, I guess.'

Meloetta reached out to gently caress his cheek, and Ridley settled her on to his shoulder once more. 'Let's go,' he said. 'The Elder will probably chew the both of us out first, but after that we can get moving.'

'Melo,' Meloetta agreed.

**.**

Ash yawned widely as he made his way down to the Pokemon Centre's cafeteria for breakfast. Serena was already up it seemed, because he'd knocked on her door and received no answer. But that was fine. They weren't in any rush. It wouldn't take them too long to get to Professor Elm's laboratory and back – plenty of time to make the ship back to Kanto.

Unless, as his mother had said, there was something that would whisk him away on another adventure.

Pikachu caught scent of the ketchup and made a beeline for it. Ash laughed and collected enough pancakes for the both of them and some maple syrup for himself. Pikachu, naturally, wanted the ketchup, but he was more than happy to look after Ash's plate for him while Ash filled up dishes of Pokemon food for the rest of his group: Talonflame, Gredinja, Sliggoo, Hawlucha and Trevenant – the Pokemon he'd caught in Kalos. Though he'd used others as well in the Kalos league, it was with these Pokemon he'd planned to return to Kanto.

And they made quite a group in the cafeteria: most of them quite big and tall and dwarfing him and Pikachu. But that was fine. Talonflame perched himself on the table space beside them and delicately pecked at the pallets. Trevanant took up a big space on the floor used his vines. Sliggoo ran between them, stealing bits of everyone's food and adding her own to the spaces she left behind like the mischievous dragon she was with Hawlucha scolding every time she ran past him, while Gredinja simply sat in a quiet corner and ate by himself.

By the time they polished off all the pancakes and Pokemon food and Ash had sent the Pokemon off to play in the Pokemon centre yard, Serena showed up with two cups of tea. 'Here,' she said, offering one to Ash. 'Good morning.'

'Thanks.' Ash accepted the cup. 'And good morning. How'd you sleep?'

'Great.' Serena grinned. 'The coastal air is so fresh too.'

Ash groaned. 'You went out jogging this morning?' He shook his head. 'Never mind, don't answer that.'

'My mum would have my hide if I didn't,' Serena reminded. 'But it's good to keep the body fit and healthy.'

'You'd think we walk enough during the day.' But Ash shrugged; to each their own after all. 'Your Pokemon hanging out here?'

'Except for Fennekin and Plusle,' Serena said. 'I was hoping Professor Elm might be able to help.'

'No harm in asking,' Ash agreed. 'Let's go. He's not far from the Pokemon Centre.'

And it was true. Serena barely had time to admire the scenery before Ash was pointing out the lab. It was a rather inconspicuous lab as well. Very unlike Professor Sycamore's that was impossible to miss once one got used to the glamour that was Lumiose City.

Ash knocked, then cracked the door open and poked his head inside. 'Professor Elm? Are you here?'

Serena heard nothing, but she assumed Ash did because he opened the door fully and went inside. 'Professor?'

All Serena could see were books and papers and machines covered in cloth scattered around.

'I'm not done with the…' Serena jumped at the mumble, then realised that what she'd originally thought was a white cloth covering a machine was in fact a man in a lab coat. 'Oh, hello Ash.'

'Hi,' Ash said brightly. 'Busy researching again?'

'Of course.' But it wasn't the man, who Serena assumed was Professor Elm, who answered. It was a young man in a similar lab coat coming through a room at the back. 'As usual, he forgets the world exists and he's a human when he's busy with something.'

Professor Elm laughed. 'I'm not that bad,' he said, standing up and brushing his coat. A few crumbs fell to the floor. 'I remembered to have breakfast today.'

'After I put it in your lap.' The assistant rolled his eyes. 'Now go tend to your guests and take a proper break, _away_ from your papers.' He vanished through the door again.

'We're not interrupting anything, are we?' Serena asked anxiously. 'I'm sorry, we didn't mean to…'

'As Joey said,' the Professor laughed again. 'I tend to forget the world exists when I find something interesting. Hey, did you know Ho-oh is on the move?'

'We saw it from the ferry in yesterday's storm,' Ash said. 'But what do you mean "on the move". Isn't it always moving?'

'Well, no.' Professor Elm cleared a space on his desk, then dug around his books for a particular one. 'Here.' He spread it open. It was a picture book of sorts, the first page displaying the image of Ho-oh that Ash remembered from the Viridian City Pokemon Centre – or had it been in Professor Oak's laboratory? He'd seen Ho-oh a few times after that, but never that same depiction of it.

'This is Ho-oh as it was depicted by the ancients,' Professor Elm explained. 'He was the bird that restored life whenever the land was pillaged by some disaster or destruction. In fact, the ancients believed it to be immortal: a phoenix who could revive from its own ashes once it died. However that proved to be not the case – or rather, the revival took so long after too swift a destruction.'

He turned the page. There was Ho-oh again, along with people clad in togas and carrying staffs of gold. 'This was the way the ancients communicated with Pokemon. The little ball like tips of the staff – we believe that those were ancient Poke balls. Perhaps after the time from Pokemopolis, or maybe even before. I'm afraid archaeology isn't my strong suit though. I leave that to the archaeologists.'

He laughed a bit to himself, then turned the page. 'The ancients weren't a uniform race, but quite divided and often wars broke out between them. Ho-oh was the one who restored vitality to the land after it was near-totalled by the wars – but one day the fighting awoke something else.'

He turned the page again. There were two shadows there: one with the shape of an X and the other a Y. But aside from that, they could make out no distinguishing feature at all. It seemed the artist had glossed over that, knowing little more himself. 'These are the Pokemon believed to have first bestowed life and death on the world,' Professor Elm explained. 'Like Arceus created the world itself, these two created the cycle of life that continues upon it. When they both sleep, the world is in perfect harmony. But the constant warring of the ancients disrupted the balance and caused the Pokemon of death to awaken and cause the ultimate destruction.'

He turned the next page. There was the Y shadow again, above a pile of ash. 'The Pokemon destroyed Ho-oh and wiped out most of the world. The ancients finally put aside their differences and came together, but it seemed to be too late. No help was coming for them. However…'

He turned the page again: the final page. '…the Pokemon of death fell asleep and the Pokemon of life awoke just long enough to restore life to all those who had lost it before it fell again. The people were revived. But their land was damaged and Ho-oh was still a mound of ash that had paid the ultimate price in trying to save them.'

Professor Elm snapped the book shut. 'Of course, most of that is speculation from various tales passed down from generation to generation,' he said. 'It is believed that this Ho-oh is the same one that revived the Pokemon who perished in the fire that destroyed the Burned Tower.'

'I heard that story from Morty, the Ecruteak Gym Leader,' Ash commented. 'Those were Raikou, Suicune and Entei.'

'That's right.' Professor Elm nodded. 'And the Burned Tower used to be Lugia's domain, but it escaped the destruction and fled to the ocean. And Ho-oh considered that the final betrayal of humanity and ceased its public appearance, taking to the skies and only appearing at certain times, searching for trainers with a pure heart.' He suddenly stopped. 'Hold on, you saw it on the ferry?'

'Yesterday,' Ash affirmed. 'Serena saw it too.'

The Professor looked at Serena. She nodded. He slapped his forehead. 'I totally forgot to introduce myself,' he said. 'I'm so sorry. I'm Professor Elm, in charge of this laboratory. I give out a Chikorita, Totodile or Cyndaquil to trainers beginning in the Johto region.' He offered a hand.

'I'm Serena.' She took it and shook gently. 'I'm from Vaniville Town in the Kalos region.'

'Kalos, huh. That's quite a distance.' The Professor looked at Ash. 'I imagine you were competing in the Kalos league, then?'

'Yep.' Ash nodded. 'Top four again.'

'Still pretty good,' Professor Elm said appreciatively. 'So what brought you to New Bark town anyway? Competing in the Johto League again?'

'No, our boat is just stopping over after getting off course in the storm.'

'Ah. That was a bad storm.' The Professor looked over the pair. 'I take it you've taken your Pokemon to the Pokemon Centre?'

'Yep.' Ash rubbed Pikachu's cheek. 'Everyone except Pikachu is there.'

'And Fennekin and Plusle,' Serena added.

'Oh?' Professor Elm arched an eyebrow. 'A Kalos starter? Would you mind if I took a look?'

'Not at all.' Serena took out both Poke balls and released them. Fennekin preened as she was released. Plusle darted around curiously.

'Oh.' Professor Elm crouched down next to Fennekin first, feeling her soft tail. 'You must brush her fur every day to keep it this smooth. And feed and train her well too.'

Others had said the same to Serena, but she still blushed at the praise.

'And this Plusle is certainly a lively one. Equally well-cared for.' He touched a cheek, receiving a tiny spark from the surprised electric type. 'Her electrical sacs don't seem to be as well developed as a Plusle's her age should be.' He rubbed them a little more, and Plusle made a whining noise and tried a Thundershock.

It fizzled out the moment it left her cheeks.

Serena sighed. 'We've been having this problem a lot,' she confessed. 'Do you think it's because…'

'It might be the underdeveloped cheeks.' Professor Elm knelt closer. 'It's something to ask a Nurse Joy about.'

Serena blushed, this time out of embarrassment. She hadn't thought at all that Plusle's problems in creating an electric attack were anything medical or anatomical at all. 'I'll do that,' she said.

'Mmm hmm.' Professor Elm looked over the Plusle more closely. 'Recently caught?'

'Ah…yes.'

'And do you know anything about what sort of life she was living before?'

Serena thought. 'Not really,' she confessed. 'We found her on the streets of Snowbelle city. Apart from her, there were only water and ice types floating around.'

'Well, an ice climate is certainly no place for a warm-blooded mammal.' Professor Elm straightened up. 'Either way, I think a Nurse Joy will be able to give you more insight. Or if you leave her with me for a few weeks, I might be able to think of something else. I wouldn't recommend it though. If it's just the underdevelopment, travelling around as you've been doing is the best thing.'

'Right.' Serena recalled her Pokemon. 'Thank you, Professor.'

'My pleasure.' The Professor smiled. 'Now, when does your ferry leave?'

'Around midday,' said Ash.

'Oh, good.' The Professor clapped his hands. 'Then I can show you two something interesting. You'll like it, having come from Kalos.'

'Something to do with mega evolution?' Serena guessed – and it turned out she was right when he undid a box to show a keystone and a Blazikenite. They'd seen that quite close before: with Clemont's and Bonnie's father and his Blaziken, as well as Gurrkin and his Blaziken.

Professor Elm explained anyway. 'These were being refined in Azalea Town and passed by me before being sent over to their owner. Well, they were supposed to be sent over straight away but I couldn't resist taking a peek.' He laughed. ''Unfortunately, the owner needs them at the Johto Grand Festival's opening ceremony and we're all too busy to go deliver it ourselves.'

'The Johto Grand Festival?' Ash all but yelped. 'When is it?'

'In a week,' Professor Elm said sadly. 'And I was looking forward to taking a break too. But then this interesting stuff came up and I just can't pull myself away from this latest project…'

'We'll take it,' Ash interrupted.

Serena gaped at him. 'But our ferry!'

'I'll take it,' Ash amended. 'You can go on ahead to Kanto.'

Professor Elm looked grateful. 'I know I can trust you with them,' he said. 'They go to the Princess of Hoenn. You'll know when you see her; she's doing an exhibition in the opening ceremony so she'll be in need of them.'

'Right.' Ash nodded. 'Got it.'

'Uhh…Ash?'

He looked at Serena, before grinning. 'Don't worry,' he said. 'If Dawn found out I was in Johto at the time of the Johto Grand Festival and didn't watch her, she'd feed me to her Mamoswine.'

'But don't we need tickets?'

He paused. 'Uhh…'

'No worries.' Professor Elm waved a hand. 'I've got three of them. Was planning on making a family vacation out of it, but work…'

'Then I'm going too,' Serena decided. 'Let me just reschedule my other ticket – and look into changing that ferry ticket too.'

**.**

It didn't take them long to get going with their precious cargo, and Serena even remembered to ask if Professor Elm had any baby Pokemon at the time. It turned out he didn't, which was disappointing, but the legend and the mega evolution stones more than made an interesting trip.

So by midday, instead of reboarding the ferry to Vermillion City, they were on a bullet train to Goldenrod. 'We'll need to stop there for the night,' Serena said, reading the map – since she didn't trust Ash with it while she was there. 'Then take a train tomorrow to Eckurtek and then transfer from there to Olivine Port. If we're lucky, we'll catch the afternoon train which'll get us to Olivine tomorrow night. If we're not, we'll get there the day after. Still in enough time to take a boat to the island before the opening ceremony.'

'Sounds good.' Ash leaned back and closed his eyes. 'There are Corsola at Olivine, you know. You wanted to catch one before.'

'I did,' Serena said. 'Hopefully we'll see wild ones while we're there. I might be able to catch one this time.' She thought for a moment. 'Or Tentacool – ' Ash grimaced. ' – or Staryu or a Horsea or a Chinchou…there are so many gorgeous water Pokemon. Or so many gorgeous Pokemon in general.'

'So many amazing Pokemon,' Ash said. 'Wasn't seeing Ho-oh yesterday cool.'

'Sure was,' Serena agreed. 'Almost made up for the storm.' She frowned suddenly. 'I hope Ho-oh didn't get into trouble because of the storm.'

'He's the ruler of the skies.' But Ash was frowning as well. 'I hope not too.'

**.**

Ash and Serena weren't the only ones whose minds were on Ho-oh and the storm. In Goldenrod, Doctor Namba was reviewing the data that had been recorded.

'That devil of a bird Pokemon,' he muttered to himself, separating the lines that showed Ho-oh's distinct pattern from the more chaotic ones that had made up the storm. 'Won't show itself to the likes of us, eh.'

But that was inconsequential. The distinct energy patterns was enough proof of its presence. It was the storm Doctor Namba was analysing. The storm…and what secret lay buried beneath it.

For there must be one, otherwise Giovanni wouldn't have made him study it so carefully.

Doctor Namba continued to filter the energy patterns. There were lots of weak ones – even out at sea where there should have been almost no interference. Some were water Pokemon and systematically, he identified them and removed them from the equation.

Then was the more difficult matter of working out the rest of the interference. Some were humans, he assumed – and when he checked with the generic energy patterns a normal human gave out, he was right. Quite a number of them – which could only mean a passenger-carrying ferry had gotten caught in the storm at sea.

That was unfortunate but hardly his concern. Perhaps hardly anyone's concern, seeing as he'd heard nothing on the news playing in the background about a tragedy at sea. And while many a human tended to be blind to what lay right in front of their face, he doubted they were so blind to ignore a downed ship that was carrying over fifty people.

The annoying part came from the fact that a good number of them were trainers. Some were easy – the crew always had water Pokemon and Machoke – and at least one flying type who could use Defog and fly through a hurricane should the weather turn against them.

The passengers however could have had any sort of Pokemon in existence, and that was pain. He started from Kanto and Kalos natives, seeing as the ferry was going from Kalos to Kanto. But Pokemon species had spread so far these days it wasn't enough to say that Kalos Pokemon could only be found in Kalos and Kanto Pokemon only in Kanto. And it wasn't enough to assume the trainers on board hadn't been anywhere but those two places.

So in the end he'd had to run through most of the non-legendary Pokemon known to mankind before he could find all the signatures on that ship and remove them. He didn't bother looking at which Pokemon – just as he didn't bother looking at which humans.

If only he could have taken the pattern all Pokemon shared and filtered against that, like he had with the humans. But what he'd been tasked to find was a Pokemon, so he couldn't do that.

'Found you,' he said, once there was only the diffuse black pattern remaining in the storm. 'Finally.'

He switched screens, searching through the topographic maps of Kanto and looking for a match. 'Now let's see where you're sleeping.'

He found traces, and searched for records of that: videos from security cameras and spies and satellites of all those places there was a faint trace of that pattern.

It was a long and tedious job, and like before, it couldn't be automatically done. Just like when they'd been chasing Lugia – but Lugia had been simpler, because they'd known its distinct pattern and its appearance and its behaviours.

This time, the boss of Team Rocket had him chasing a legend.

Doctor Namba reached for a pocky stick and put it in his mouth, snapping it in two. 'Still an interesting job,' he said to himself, tapping away on the keyboard. 'Once computers start thinking for themselves.'

It would get more interesting once he stopped chasing shadows of energy patterns and found something more tangible.


	5. Chapter 4

**The Beast Wakes From Slumber  
><em>Chapter 4<em>**

Yveltal slept in the Allearth forest, however that faint thread of being that had maintained its consciousness even after Meloetta's lullaby struggled to bind him again had wandered all over the world.

He only remembered glimpses now. A boy with a Pikachu and a girl with a Fennekin on a boat. A room with innocent treasures. A girl and her Axew curled up asleep in a cave. Another girl on a snow covered mountain. A boy on a Golurk flying through the forest. Another boy with a Pansage running around with plates of food.

He felt a sense of longing at the last image. A desire for food. For energy. Though he had never tasted the sort of delicacies the boy was carrying. Just life-force energy. Just that thing he sucked out of everything to quench his unquenchable thirst.

He tried to shake the sound of the song out of his ears. That was all wrong. The lullaby was pulling into a direction in which he didn't exist: in which that feeling inside of him didn't exist.

He needed energy, life-force, if he ever wanted to emerge from his chains of eternal sleep.

He thrashed a little, but the chains were still too tight. He could feel them loosening around him though.

But with his current energy levels, it would take him an eternity to escape them. His eyes were slipping closed once again…

He gritted his teeth and fought the song that tried to bind him further.

**.**

Doctor Namba raised an eyebrow at the screen. The only signature his elusive prey had left behind was a faded one on a lawn of a house in Pallet Town, but when he'd expanded the search he found a similar trace not far from them at all. And newer as well.

He grinned as the thought settled in, picking up the handset at his desk. 'Send in Cassidy and Burch,' he ordered. 'I have a job for them.'

'Understood, sir,' the receptionist said, and a few minutes later the pair he'd requested were waiting for him, Cassidy patting down her long hair and Butch, whose name few managed to correctly recall, brushing the last of breakfast crumbs off his clothes.

'I've got a quick job for you,' he said, bringing a map of the area between Goldenrod and Ecruteak up on screen where he'd circled the place where the energy blip had occurred. 'There was a girl here yesterday, a trainer by the looks of it with an Axew, Dragonite, Excadrill, Emolga, and Gible. I want you two to find her and question her thoroughly on what she saw yesterday in the storm. And also, ask her about Meloetta.'

The pair exchanged looks. They hadn't been part of the project centred around Meloetta so they knew nothing about her. Nor did they need to. Their job was to collect the traces of Yveltal and find and secure the legendary Pokemon and nothing more. 'Understood,' Cassidy said finally. 'And what do we do with the girl after?'

'Make sure we can find her again if we need her, and then let her go.' Doctor Namba pulled a device out of the second drawer and threw it to the pair. Butch caught it: a small transmitter, barely noticeable but easily placed on something like a Pokedex that wouldn't quickly be left behind.

'Understood,' the pair said, straightening and saluting before marching off.

Doctor Namba returned to the maps. He could have found out who the girl was if he really wanted to, but unless the boss requested it directly, he wasn't interested. Finding out more about the diffuse energy pattern was a far more interesting prospect.

**.**

Serena stretched as she climbed off the train. 'That was a good ride,' she said, 'but still, I get so stiff sitting around that long.'

'Tell me about it,' Ash agreed, shaking himself. 'Oh, the Pokemon Centre's right there.'

They went, and handed over their Pokemon to Nurse Joy. 'Also,' Serena added. 'I was wondering if you could take an extra good look at Plusle. She's been having trouble with her electric attacks and Professor Elm thinks it might be because her cheeks are underdeveloped.'

'I'll give her a full examination,' Nurse Joy promised. 'You can count on me.'

They nodded and left their Pokemon with her and had lunch in the cafeteria. 'We should go out for dinner,' Serena suggested, taking a chicken salad for herself. 'There are lots of good places to eat in Goldenrod, right?'

'There is a huge mall,' Ash said, already munching away at his burger, 'but I don't know about lots of good –'

He winced as Serena squealed. 'A mall?' she said. 'Why didn't you say so sooner? Let's go there while the Pokemon rest.'

'Tell me you're kidding,' Ash groaned, but wound up agreeing in the end when Serena promised to pay for the ice-creams and not make him carry all her purchases until she could courier them off.

'I can't buy too much anyway.' Serena pointed out, finishing her salad as Ash ate a second burger. 'I can't just drop stuff at home from here. I'll have to courier it, and that costs an arm and a leg. But I will need new stuff for Poke Vision videos and Showcases.'

'You should try out a Contest,' Ash suggested, licking his fingers and ignoring Serena's grimace as she cleaned hers daintily on a napkin.

'I might, but I need to see one first.' Serena frowned at him. 'And wash your hands.'

'You'll see the best at the Grand Festival,' Ash said, pushing his chair back. 'I'm going, I'm going.'

And he did, Serena watching him disappear into the bathrooms, then went herself to the female ones in the other directions. It didn't take her long by her standards to wash her hands, freshen up and check herself in the mirror, but Ash was clearing their plates when she returned.

'Sorry,' Serena apologised. She hadn't meant for Ash to empty her plate – though he or Clemont would often catch it when she was in the bathroom.

'No worries.' Ash grinned. 'Come on, let's check how our Pokemon are doing.'

They did check before leaving. The Pokemon were all comfortably asleep and she was giving Plusle a full exam. Ash and Serena tiptoed away without distracting her or waking their Pokemon.

Once they were outside though, Serena was skipping ahead with excitement. 'So what's in this mall?' she asked.

'No idea,' Ash replied, running at times to keep up as they wove through the streets. The mall was easy to spot: aside from the Radio Tower it was the tallest building in Goldenrod. Trying to get there was like trying to get to the tower in Lumiose – and Ash didn't remember the way to Goldenrod's mall anyway. 'Whitney dragged us everywhere; we were exhausted and hopelessly lost.'

'Who's Whitney?' Serena asked, finding the name unfamiliar.

'Goldenrod's Gym Leader,' Ash replied. 'She has an amazingly strong Miltank.'

'Miltank?' Serena repeated. She'd seen the sweet looking cow Pokemon before, but never thought of them being strong. 'Wouldn't imagine them being powerful in a gym battle sense.'

'She wiped the floor with three of my pokemon the first time we battled.' Ash grinned at the memory. 'And it took all three again to beat her the second time around.'

'Even Pikachu?' Serena had seen some pretty tough battles, particularly in the Kalos League, but she'd yet to see one Pokemon who managed to wipe out three of Ash's and Pikachu was Ash's oldest partner.

'Yep.' He counted them off. 'Phanpy, Totodile and Pikachu. All three of them.'

'That must have been some battle.' Serena stared at the sky. To wipe out three of Ash's Pokemon – Ash who she'd seen take down legendries, who'd lost the Sinnoh League only because all six of his Pokemon could mega-evolve and only one of Ash's could: his Charizard.

But both of them realised it took an amazing trainer to be able to bond with more than one Pokemon at that level. Serena knew Ash was that sort of trainer as well: the sort of trainer who loved Pikachu so much but could still help Charizard achieve that form must have the potential to help his other Pokemon as well. But it wasn't just about potential. It was about finding the mega-stones, and the right keystones. It was about the Pokemon achieving the highest state they could without that stone – and there were a lot of Ash's Pokemon, like his Pikachu, that didn't want to exceed their current form.

They stepped through the doors to Goldenrod, and Serena put the Kalos league out of her mind as she took in the mall. It wasn't quite the size of the largest mall in Kalos, but it was bustling with activity and she could see quite a few things that attracted her.

But what to do first…

'Hey, Ash,' she said. 'Do you want a haircut?'

'No way.' Ash fixed his hat.

Serena shrugged. She hadn't thought so, but neither of them had brought their Pokemon…and she didn't think they'd want haircuts either. 'Oh well.'

**.**

Cassidy stood with her arms crossed while Butch took photos of the area. Truthfully, there wasn't much to see. It hadn't taken long at all to know there wasn't anything of interest there – but still Doctor Namba had insisted on taking careful photos of everything.

If he hadn't, they could have been chasing the trail their Ralts had picked up.

'Done,' Butch said finally, soon after Cassidy had resorted to tapping her foot from frustration.

'Good,' she said. 'Teleport, Ralts!'

They vanished, appearing in the middle of what looked like Goldenrod's mall.

'Brilliant place to find someone,' Butch grumbled, as Cassidy gestured at the psychic Pokemon to lead them on.

'Good thing we're dressed casually,' she remarked. Or rather, that they'd had the foresight to dress casually. She'd picked out a blouse and mini-skirt herself – a little frillier than her usual uniform but not too dissimilar. Butch likewise was in a polo shirt and jeans. Inconspicuous, but not too far out of their comfort zone.

They didn't need to pretend to be something completely outlandish to be confident in their disguises. So they could feel relatively comfortable walking through the shopping crowd. Butch was less comfortable of course – like many men he wasn't particularly fond of shopping, but luckily for him his companion had little patience for the art either. They could handle the basics, but not too much more. They had online shopping and grunts further down to order around for those things.

Still, they knew Goldenrod Mall reasonably well. Well enough from studying its layout at least, for a mission a few years back that had involved the radio tower and the game corner as well. But they hadn't played a large part in that mission, nor its failure. This mission on the other hand was another story.

Cassidy picked Ralts up when the pair struggled to keep her in their sight and the little Pokemon struggled to keep herself from being trampled. She lead them easier like that: sensing with the feeler on her forehead and leading them with one small arm.

And, finally, the Ralts made a noise, gesturing at a girl and an Axew pouring over the display of a food stand.

The pair from Team Rocket crept closer.

'That one looks yummy, doesn't it Axew?'

'Xew,' the Axew agreed, popping through the messy mane of hair and emerging on the girl's other shoulder. 'Axew.'

'It's decided then.' The girl straightened up. 'Two of these please.' She pointed at some sort of wrap, and received two of them and she handed some coins over in exchange. 'Thank you. Here you go Axew.'

The Axew took his wrap, holding it with his tiny hands.

'That girl with the Axew?' Cassidy checked.

'Ralts.' The Ralts agreed.

'Good.' Cassidy made to recall her, but then decided against it as she watched the Axew almost lose his roll, then catch it again. 'Psychic on that roll, Ralts.'

Butch gave her a curious look, but then understood as the Axew wailed and tried to scramble for its roll. Ralts lowered it gently with its Psychic and, when Axew jumped off the girl's shoulder to jump for it, let it go.

Axew clutched the roll to his chest and the girl turned around.

'I'm so sorry,' Cassidy said smoothly, stepping forward. 'Your Axew dropped his roll and my Ralts noticed and caught it with Psychic.'

'Oh, okay.' The girl blinked, then smiled. 'Thank you very much.' She knelt down. 'Say thank you, Axew.'

'Xew,' Axew said agreeably, tearing the roll into two haphazard halves and offering one to Ralts.

'Thank you,' said Cassidy, accepting it and offering it to Ralts. The psychic Pokemon was more than happy to have the snack, and the group of three humans and two Pokemon made their way to a table.

It was much simpler than trying to drag someone kicking and screaming and being generally un-cooperative.

'So, what brings you to Goldenrod?'

Cassidy winced at the awkwardness Butch displayed there. _Don't give us away, idiot._ But it didn't look like the girl had noticed.

'I was camping out on my way from Ecruteak city,' the girl explained, munching away at her own roll. Cassidy waved over a waitress and ordered a couple of drinks for themselves. She would have ordered an extra one just to be polite, but the girl said water was fine for them and Cassidy just shrugged.

Maybe that's why Butch was getting along just fine with her. She certainly wasn't high class, whoever she was.

'It was quite a storm yesterday and we couldn't go out to find berries and things for dinner. So we're both starved.' The girl laughed as Axew finished his roll and held out his hand for more. 'I stocked up on Pokemon food for you. Don't worry.'

She took out a handful of pallets and Axew took them happily, munching away.

'It was quite a storm,' Cassidy agreed, when Butch didn't say anything. She wondered why – but then again, she was better at bluffing than he was. 'We were busy working, but it was quite a change from the usual window view.'

'I can imagine,' the girl laughed. 'Quite a different sight to our usual before sleep stuff too. Especially that shadow.'

'Shadow?' Cassidy raised an eyebrow. Doctor Namba would want to know about that.

'Yeah.' The girl shrugged, brushing a few loose strands back. 'Couldn't get a good look at it though.' The loose locks fell forward again. 'Oh; I didn't introduce myself. I'm Iris.'

She held out a hand. Cassidy grimaced a little internally but shook the hand without hesitation. Butch did likewise – or maybe he didn't have any hesitation at all. He was a guy after all. Didn't care nearly as much about certain delicacies like hygiene –

Which didn't explain the girl, Iris, at all. But whatever, Cassidy thought. She was a traveller. One couldn't exactly be with pristine hygiene and manners and be able to rough it out. And this girl talked as though she was used to camping out. Used to roughing it out.

'So you don't know what that shadow looked like?' Cassidy asked again.

Iris shrugged. 'Might've been a Stantler,' she said. 'I think it had horns. But what does it matter? Probably just a poor Pokemon running from the storm.'

'Probably.' Cassidy frowned. Looks like she came across a little suspicious. Unless… She knelt forward conspiringly. 'I've heard rumours. That there's a really scary Pokemon that appears in the storm.'

'Wouldn't be surprised if it's a dragon.' Iris, surprisingly, didn't seem worried. 'They tend to get mistaken like that.'

'Xew,' the Axew agreed.

'Which reminds me,' Iris continued. 'You two haven't introduced yourselves either.'

**.**

'Lunch time,' Serena sang, and Ash wasn't about to argue with her for two reasons. One was because it meant a break from the shopping – which, while Serena had promised to make it easier, was no less the torture it always was. Though he wasn't carrying too much extra, it was still tiring wandering around without a visible aim.

The second was naturally because it was lunch, and lunch meant food.

But lunch also meant walking all the way to the third floor, and Ash decided he would simply collapse on a table and eat whatever Serena chose. And that was what he would have done – if there were any empty tables to sit at.

There weren't, though his gaze swept over all of them. Nothing, though some tables only had two or three people. Couples that looked like they didn't want to be disturbed. Families likewise – though why a girl with blonde hair and a boy with green would have a girl with purple –

He blinked, then shouted out and waved. 'Iris!'

The girl blinked, then pushed her chair back, stood up and waved back. 'Ash!' she yelled. 'What brings you here?'

Serena stared between them. 'Friend from Unova,' Ash explained. 'Hey, she's got two spare seats there. Let's sit with them.'

'Okay,' Serena said uncertainly. Ash had told her about Iris and though she was prone to teasing, according to him, she was nice. But her Axew looked a little scary and Ash hadn't said a word about her companions. But there wasn't anywhere else to sit, and Ash had pulled up a chair and sat down and no-one seemed to be glaring him off the table, so she assumed it was okay. She stood in the line instead – and as it was, she missed what happened next.

Iris forgot the two adults hadn't introduced themselves once again once Ash caught her attention. In fact, she forgot about them entirely. So did Axew, sniffing around Ash as he pulled a chair out and sat down. 'Sorry Axew,' he laughed. 'Pikachu's napping at the Pokemon Centre.'

'Why are you in Goldrenrod?' Iris asked. 'I'd have thought you'd go back to Kanto after the Kalos league.'

'You saw that?' Ash asked.

Iris laughed. 'You're asking that as if I was at your fifth birthday party.'

'Just like a kid, right?' Ash grinned.

'Exactly that,' Iris returned. 'So?'

'Boat got stranded,' Ash explained. 'Then we decided to go see the Johto Grand Festival. Dawn would kill me if she found out I was in Johto a week before but didn't go to see her.'

Iris remembered Dawn. 'I'm sure she wouldn't be that bad.'

'She'd feed me to Mamoswine and that'd be that bad.'

'True enough.'

Axew dropped a pallet. It fell against Butch's cup, causing the two young trainers to turn around. 'Oh, I'm so sorry,' Iris cried. 'You two were just about to introduce yourselves and I kept on changing the conversation…'

'Butch,' Butch said, before Cassidy could give a fake name. Or think of a good way to get out of that table, because she remembered that boy, even without a Pikachu on his shoulder.

'Buck?' Ash repeated.

'It's _Butch_,' Butch snapped, annoyed.

'I remember a guy from Team Rocket who was like that,' Ash said thoughtfully. 'He was with that blonde –'

Cassidy averted his eyes, but both Ash and Iris were staring at him now.

'Team Rocket?' Iris asked. 'Like those guys who took Meloetta and the Reveal Glass and tried to wake the three Forces of Nature?'

'We didn't just try, miss,' Cassidy snapped. 'The boss did –'

'Xew.' Axew jumped on to the table, and they froze.

'Idiot,' Cassidy hissed under their breath – though she imagined it would have come out anyway. They hadn't been prepared for a real undercover mission. Really, what were the odds they'd bump into someone who knew their involvement with Team Rocket in a simple mission like that.

At least they'd learned all they wanted to know.

'Let's just get out of here,' Butch said.

Cassidy was in agreement with that. 'Ralts –'

'Axew, scratch,' Iris interrupted, and the little dragon brought down its claws on the psychic type. She wailed and fled into her Poke ball without a pause.

'Useless,' Cassidy snapped, enlarging another one. 'Houndour, go!'

Ash reached for a Poke ball at his belt before realising they were all at Nurse Joy's. But Iris didn't have that problem, sending out her Dragonite.

Panic spread. If Houndour hadn't been enough, Dragonite's battle cry certainly was. People screamed. Others scattered. Tables upturned. A few security guards with their Machoke jumped on top of Houndour and Dragonite and Iris tried to protect.

By the time she managed to convince the security that there were criminals in the mall, Houndour and the two Team Rocket grunts were gone and Serena was staring at the scene blankly with hers and Ash's lunches, having missed the lead-up.

'I'm surprised you didn't get kicked out,' she remarked, taking a seat on a chair once things had settled down a little and Dragonite was back in his Poke ball.

'Me too,' Iris confessed. 'Dragonite tends to go a little crazy in enclosed spaces, but after all the crazy stuff Team Rocket's done, it's better to be safe than sorry with them.'

'True,' Serena agreed, though the other two knew she hadn't seen the iceberg of what Team Rocket was capable of. 'By the way, I'm Serena. It's very nice to meet you.'

'Iris,' Iris said, holding out her hand to shake. 'Nice to meet you too. Nicer than this guy.' She jerked a thumb at Ash.

'Still hung up about that?' Ash rolled his eyes.

'Well, I should be insulted. You thought I was a Pokemon when we first met!'

'That was over two years ago!'

'So? Time isn't everything, Mister wannabe Pokemon Master.'

'Neither is a mistake, Miss wannabe Dragon Master. Besides, it was your ha –'

'Let's leave it there,' Serena interrupted. 'Here.' Good thing she'd decided to bring desert as well.

'Sundaes!' The two pounced on them, and Serena laughed again. Iris was surprisingly childish.

Serena watched them dig in as she spooned hers more carefully. 'What happened anyway?'

'Guys from Team Rocket,' Ash said.

'But what did they want?' Iris wondered. 'All they'd been doing was making small talk.'

'About what?' Serena asked. 'If you don't mind me –'

'Are you always this polite?' Iris interrupted.

Serena blushed.

'You should loosen up a little,' Iris advised. 'It's fine to be nice and all, but it's not the best face for a battle.'

'Oh, I'm not a trainer.' Serena played with her spoon a little. The girl in front of her definitely was. 'I want to be a Pokemon Performer.'

'Performer?' Iris raised an eyebrow. 'That doesn't have much battling at all. Why not contests? Don't you like battling?'

'I don't mind battling,' Serena confessed. 'We don't have anything like contests in Kalos yet.'

'Not in Unova either.' Iris nodded. 'I heard they've only been in Johto for a few years. Sinnoh was where it started, then Hoenn, and then it spread to Kanto and Johto in the same year…and that was just a few years back.'

'You know a lot,' Serena said, impressed.

'Nah, I just hear a lot.' Iris waved a hand. Axew popped out of her hair and Serena let out a small squeak. 'Scared of dragon types?'

'No.' But Serena was feeling a little nervous now. 'Just the big teeth.'

She expected Iris would laugh at that, and she did. 'They're sharp,' Iris agreed. 'But Axew's a real sweetheart. And Pikachu's thunder packs quite a punch but you're not scared of him, are you?'

'Well…no.' Serena felt a little silly when put that way. 'Umm…does your Axew like Poke puffs?'

'Poke puffs?' Iris repeated blankly. 'What are those?'

Serena fished around in her bag. Lucky she'd made some at the Pokemon Centre, she thought, pulling one out. It was always a good way to get to know a new Pokemon. 'Here, try this one.'

Axew sniffed it, then took it out of her hands and gulped it down. 'Xew,' he said, dancing on the table happily. 'Xew! Axew!'

'I'll take that as a "that was delicious",' Iris said.

'I'm glad.' Serena smiled, before glancing over at Ash. 'You've fallen quiet suddenly.'

'I'm just annoyed at Team Rocket really.' Ash shook his head. 'If it's not Jessie, James and Meowth, it's someone else.'

'True,' Iris agreed. 'Though those three cause plenty of trouble on their own.'

**.**

'A girl with an Axew,' Doctor Namba repeated. 'Said her name is Iris and that she's heard of Meloetta and saw a shadow but thought it was a Stantler?'

'That about sums it up,' Cassidy replied. Butch was hanging a little back.

'And that explains the chaos at the mall how?'

Cassidy remained silent. Butch stuttered something.

The doctor shrugged. 'Well, things like that don't concern me. Good work you two. Dismissed.'

They saluted and left with a sigh of relief. Though they knew Doctor Namba well, sometimes it was hard to tell what he was thinking.

What Doctor Namba was thinking was what those tidbits of information meant. What sort of mystery had the boss only given him bits of information about? What sort of larger image was he seeing, behind his desk?

Of course, the boss would only take the information and thank him and give him a new assignment without an explanation. That was his job.

_But it's my job to be curious and find those things out._

It didn't have to say that on the fine print of his contract for it to be true.


End file.
